Darkening Open Grain
Tips on achieving a finish with black lines running through the open grain portion of a light colored wood (sometimes considered a type of "ceruse"). March 13, 2009
Question
Does anyone have a method of darkening the open grain portion of ash or similar veneer without darkening the solid portion? My customer would like what would amount to black lines running through a really light colored wood. My experiments with black filler have not come out very good. Too much stain left in the solid portion and not really black enough in the grain. Any ideas?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor G:
Gilsonite works for that, but it isn't deep black either. How about black filler and then sand the black off the raised wood?
From contributor R:
These finishes are really popular again. They are calling them "ceruse" now. Start with a wash coat of sealer. (Experiment with the solids percentage till you get it right - start with 1 part sealer and 4 parts thinner.) Now apply your paste filler and remove using a squeegee. (Silk screen squeegees work best, but a regular window washing one will work in a pinch.) Clean off with a rag wrapped around a sanding block. When the filler is completely dry, lightly sand with 320 paper on a block. Another way if you are using CV or 2k urethane is to use the powder off glazes that are popular these days (ML Campbell makes one).
From contributor P:
It's easy actually. Seal the wood with a low solids coat of finish (e.g., 10% solids), sand smooth, then use a dark colored glaze. Topcoat and you're done. An alternative is to apply a couple low solids coats of finish, sanding between coats, and then apply a dark colored paste wax. Not quite as dramatic, but it also looks good and is reversible.
Cerusing is achieved by turning the wood pores white, but you can use the same steps and a dark glaze instead for the look you want. There are a few dry, spray glazes available, but Amazing Glaze from ML Campbell is the one I'm familiar with and would be a good choice for this finish.
From contributor S:
Stick with contributor R's method for the best results.
From contributor D:
Contributor R, here's a tip for you. I agree that the stiff squeegee is the nuts, which is why you like the silk screen squeegees, as they are much stiffer, but here is something that works most of the filler off even better so that you can get the rest with a normal squeegee and burlap... A urethane grout float. This has a handy handle and the stiffness to really scrape the excess filler off. Try it, you'll like it. They're cheap at home centers too. These are really the nuts if you're doing a large surface like a conference table.
